French ministers disclose personal wealth for first time

He once famously declared: "I don't like the rich". But French president François Hollande may have to review that opinion after seven government ministers declared assets of more than a million euros and one a large stake in an auction house.

In an unprecedented move, some 38 ministers were forced to disclose their assets for the first time as part of Mr Hollande's drive to shake off a tax fraud scandal.

Leading the ministerial "Full Monty" – as some dubbed the wealth league table posted on the government website on Monday night – was foreign minister Laurent Fabius, heir to an art fortune.

With net assets worth more than six million euros, Mr Fabius declared a Paris flat worth 2.75 million euros, two country homes in Normandy and the Ariège and a 1.2 million-euro stake in the Piasa auction house. The art collector also declared owning 630,000 euros in various items thought to include artworks and furniture. Curiously, however, he declared no vehicle and was 30,000 euros in the red one of his bank accounts.

In second place came Michèle Delaunay, the minister for the elderly, who conceded that her 5.4 million euro estate – including 200,000 euros worth of furniture and paintings – would be "difficult to understand for the majority of the French, who are facing hard times", even if it was all accrued legally.

She nevertheless supported the idea, saying: "It is probably a necessary step toward a real battle against tax evasion and fraud."

Prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault was among only nine government figures with assets worth over a million euros, His net worth of 1.55 million euros included two houses, a garage, and a Volkswagen camper van worth 1,000 euros.

Facing mockery was finance minister Pierre Moscovici after it transpired that the man tasked with reducing France's burgeoning debt and deficit was 230 euros in the red in one of his bank accounts. He owns just one modest property in Monbéliard worth 200,000 euros.

Some went out of their way to appear modest, with housing minister Cecile Duflot, of the Greens declaring a rusty Renault 4R worth just 400 euros and justice minister Christine Taubira three pushbikes worth from 2-400 euros.

Culture minister Aurelie Filippetti had sparked mirth ahead of the deadline when she promised to include a David Beckham T-shirt on her list alongside a 750-square-foot flat in Paris. Last night it was nowhere to be seen.

Mr Hollande – who has previously declared assets of 1.17 million euros – hopes "operation transparency" will help turn the page on a damaging scandal over tax fraud charges against former-budget minister Jerome Cahuzac, the man tasked with fighting tax evasion, after he admitted having a secret Swiss bank account.

The same compulsory disclosures – which stop short of declaring one's tax returns – are due to be extended to MPs and other elected officials as part of a wider bill on "moralising public life".

Monday's move sparked David Cameron to renew a pledge to publish senior ministers' tax returns. "The prime minister's view on whether he would be content to publish his arrangements and those of other ministers is that he would be relaxed about that," said a spokesman.

Supporters in France branded the exercise a bold move to promote greater transparency and restore public trust in politicians. But the prospect of baring all was not to the liking of all in a country whose attitude to wealth is deeply ambivalent.

Guillaume Larrivé, national secretary of the opposition Right-wing UMP party, dismissed the exercise as a "grotesque striptease that unveils ministerial assets to try and hide the real problems France is facing." The head of the main opposition right-wing UMP, Jean-Francois Cope, a corporate lawyer, said that the measure would only "create tensions" in French society and turn many talented individuals off "engaging in public life".

Not all on the Left were happy. Claude Bartolone, Socialist speaker of the National Assembly, said the initiative amounted to "pure voyeurism" and would not help catch cheats, like Mr Cahuzac, who lied to parliament for four months about his offshore account and resigned last month.

"But if we had asked him to publish details of his personal wealth, would it have made the slightest difference?," asked Mr Bartolone.

The French remain nonplussed; one polls showed 63 per cent support the asset disclosures but an even higher amount – 70 per cent – said they would not be shocked to learn some ministers are wealthy.

The declarations are part of a raft of reforms mooted by Mr Hollande, whose popularity has taken a new nosedive since the tax fraud scandal erupted.